Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with Plaid Horse equine impact small business contest winner Katie Burr of Bit-Tex, a bit wrap company dedicated to improving equine comfort and performance. You can read more about Bit-Tex in the July issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Listen in and share with your friends!

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Katie Burr is a lifelong horsewoman who trains, breeds, and shows National Champion Arabian horses. In 2024, she founded Bit-Tex, a bit wrap company dedicated to improving equine comfort and performance. Passionate about animal welfare and education, Katie is committed to raising awareness around the importance of humane training practices and the well-being of horses in every discipline.
• Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with top trainer and rider, Quentin Judge and answers a listener question about returning to a venue after a tough show. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride 
• Guest: Quentin Judge is a top rider and trainer who operates out of his business, Quentin Judge, LLC. Quentin has competed on several successful Nations Cups teams, the 2016 World Cup Finals, and has had wins and top placings at the best venues throughout North America. His students benefit from all of his knowledge from working with esteemed equestrians such as Jan Tops, John and Beezie Madden, Ian Miller, Joe Fargis, John Brennan and Missy Clark. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!

Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with Rebecca Walton of Cavaletti Consulting about media in the horse industry. Listen in and share with friends!

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Rebecca Walton is a seasoned equestrian journalist and PR strategist, and the founder of Cavaletti Consulting. After nearly 15 years with Phelps Media Group—covering everything from the Olympics to Pony Finals—she went on to serve as the marketing director at HITS before launching Cavaletti Consulting in 2024. Today, she works with top events, athletes, and brands to help them tell their stories and connect with their audiences.
• Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!

Piper speaks with Baylee Mckeever about balancing college life at Auburn University with riding and showing alongside her equestrian family and supportive team at McLain Ward's Castle Hill Farm. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Baylee Mckeever is a 20-year-old equestrian and senior at Auburn University, where she is pursuing a degree in Communications and competes on the university’s Division I equestrian team. A lifelong rider, Baylee has achieved notable success in the sport, including an individual gold medal at the 2023 Young Riders Championship, winning the 2024 U25 Grand Prix Finale, and earning a top-10 finish at the Washington Equitation Finals. Her passion for horses runs in the family—her parents, Lee and Erica, and her brother Bradlee are all actively involved in the horse show community.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
•  Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person live event!

Piper hosts Plaidcast in Person in front of a live studio audience at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT with guests Don Stewart, Emma Fass, Michael Lenard & Kate Rice Nilan. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Don Stewart has a long and illustrious career as a top trainer specializing in the hunters and equitation. He was leading hunter rider at the National Horse Show twice, and as a trainer, has coached many national champions and medal finals winners. Don has a famous sense of humor and a knack for getting his students to relax and succeed in some of the most competitive, high-pressure horse shows in the country. Don operates Don Stewart Stables in Ocala, FL. 
• Guest: Emma Fass is an amateur rider in Virginia, a software engineer, and an entrepreneur. She founded RingSide Pro in 2020 to provide horse shows with better tools and make the experience of horse showing smoother. RingSide Pro is now used all over the country, from local shows to Pony Finals and the USHJA International Hunter Derby. 
• Guest: Michael Lenard is the CFO and co-founder of Horse Spot, a cloud-based platform transforming horse show management through real-time scoring, streamlined entries, and enhanced user experience. A former CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, he transitioned to the equestrian world full-time after years of competing at the 1.40 m level. He also holds a USEF “R” Jumper Judge license and has managed A-rated shows nationwide. Under his leadership, Horse Spot now supports over 350 shows across 28 states and three countries. 
• Guest: Kate Rice Nilan is the Founder of StableSecretary, one of the original barn management technologies. Kate is a lifelong equestrian who grew up as a competitive junior rider and has spent decades immersed in the hunter/jumper world. She’s worn just about every hat you can imagine in a barn—groom, barn manager, assistant trainer, business owner, freelance rider and teacher, and even “horse show mom.”  In recent years, she has gotten back in the show ring herself in the amateur hunters and equitation.
  Beyond the ring, Kate has also worked in web development, tech support, and education—bringing a unique blend of real-world horse experience and technical expertise to everything she does. She leads product development and customer support for StableSecretary, and still finds time to get back in the saddle whenever she can.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
•  Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!

Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with TPH Small business winner, Caitlin Looney of Extend Equine Massage. Listen in and share with friends!

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Caitlin Looney is a certified equine bodyworker and owns Extend Equine Massage, which services the Massachusetts and New Hampshire areas offering equine massage, kinesiology taping, red light therapy and more! Holding her Masters in Biotechnology, Caitlin brings a unique scientific understanding of the horse’s muscular system to her practice to provide reproducible and significant results. Riding at such diverse levels herself ranging from 4H to the breed level, Caitlin appreciates all aspects of competition and enjoys supporting a wide array of clients from the retired pony to the high performing equine athlete.
• Read the Latest Issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast in Person event!

Piper speaks with top trainer Berry Porter about hunter and equitation judging. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Berry Porter is the head trainer at Brookside Pine Farms in Conroe, Texas. Berry has developed many riders from the beginner level to the collegiate ranks to succeeding at the top levels of equestrian competition. Recognizing this is a sport that constantly evolves, Berry trains with some of the most respected and successful professionals in the industry, applying his skills as he personally competes at prominent venues across the country. Berry’s students have successfully competed at the FEI North American Young Riders competition, National Junior Hunter Finals, in International Hunter Derbies, at Medal Finals, and in Grand Prix.
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
•  Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Piper speaks with TPH Small business winner, Holly Johnson of FireHorse Rescue Kits. Listen in and share with friends!

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guest: Holly Johnson is the founder of Equinium Sports Marketing and co-founder of FireHorse Rescue Kits, which was recently pinned Champion in The Plaid Horse Magazine’s Equine Impact Small Business Contest. Holly is based in Wellington, Florida and holds an MBA in Sports Marketing. FireHorse Rescue Kits is a collaboration between equestrians and firefighters to bridge the gap between barn fire safety and first responders. You can read more about FireHorse in our May/June issue of the magazine.
• Read the May/June Issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Sponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare and Great American Insurance Group 
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach speaks with top international show jumper Katie Dinan and teaches a technique for keeping the spark in your goal setting. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   

• Host: Tonya Johnston, Visit her Website, Facebook and buy her book Inside Your Ride 
• Guest: After a terrific junior career, Katie Dinan has been a steady presence on the international show jumping circuit for more than a decade, since winning her first major grand prix in 2012. She was shortlisted for the Paris Olympics, has represented the United States in multiple Nations Cups and World Cup Finals, and was the top placing American in the World Cup finals in 2025. 
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
•  Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!

Piper speaks with top trainers, Ken & Emily Smith of Ashland Farms. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.

• Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid Horse
• Guests: Ken and Emily Smith are the owners and operators of Ashland Farms, based in Wellington, Florida, and Lexington, Kentucky. Both Ken and Emily grew up in the industry; Ken as the son of trainer John Smith in Upstate New York, and Emily as the daughter of equine veterinarian Scott Traphagen in South Florida. Ken and Emily worked for Howard Lewis at the Chagrin Valley Hunt Club before launching Ashland Farms in 1993. Now one of North America’s top sales barns, Ashland Farms has produced many national title-claiming riders.
• Subscribe To: The Plaid Horse Magazine
• Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services
• Sponsors: Purina, Foxhall Equine and Great American Insurance Group
• Join us at an upcoming Plaidcast LIVE!